PCUSA Loses Membership after Embracing Gay Marriage

The Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA) is seeing a significant decline in church membership after it made the decision to support gay marriage last year. Charisma News reports the number of PCUSA churches has fallen to fewer than 10,000 after pastors parted ways with the denomination.

A report from the Office of the General Assembly said that the total number of PCUSA membership at the end of 2014 was 1,667,767, a drop from 1,760,200 in 2013 and 1,849,496 in 2012.

Gradye Parsons, of the General Assembly said, "Membership declines continue, but on a whole the denomination is settling into the new thing God is creating.”

He continued that PCUSA remains "made up of vibrant congregations doing their best to live out the gospel of Jesus Christ in their communities and in the world."

Previously, the National Black Church Initiative, a coalition of 34,000 churches across 15 denominations broke ties with PCUSA over its stance on same-sex marriage.